Kingdom of Proclivity
by NekoNoko
Summary: AU-Appearances are not what they seem in Konoha Forest. Boys can walk on two human legs under the sun and four fox ones at night, birds can meet at sundown to talk of recent events, and young men can howl to the moon like wolves.Multipair.ShonAi.
1. Chapter 1

**Kingdom of Proclivity**

AN: Yeah… so I haven't updated my old fics in a long while… eh… completely my fault, I admit. I wanted to update them now, when I have nothing else to do, but I just feel so disconnected from them. I need a full long weekend to get back into them, I think, to re-read and re-think them over… Oh, hey, lookit me, going on. I right away assume that anyone reading this has to be reading this cause you've read my other stories, eh heh. Well, assuming that's true, there's a 75 percent chance I'll continue GoLaF, since I luvs that ficcy, and a 50 percent chance I'll continue BL with a 25 percent chance of re-writing :D

Now… onto this… eh, just a random story I wanted to start cause I was bored and couldn't find a Itanaru fic that could satisfy me, hee. Sadly, I'm not sure if this will end up a itanaru… I just can't seem to write that pairing, for some reason, gao…

DISCLAIMER: omg, I almost forgot this xO -inserts disclaimer- I don't own Ferretpon, Naru-tan, Saa-rin, Pandachi, or even mean old Pinku-chan. Teehee, I'm such a geek. Those are all my personal nicknames for Naruto character, eh heh heh.

Chapter 1

Naruto Uzumaki yawped in joy, his small nine tails flaring to life as he ran. The fox's unusually large blue eyes were narrowed in concentration and his tongue lolled out the side of his mouth lazily, flowing slightly in the breeze, as his fit body was racked with pants.

Naruto was part of the Uzumaki family, a family of foxes. But more then that, their bloodline held the spirit of the ancient demon fox, the Kyuubi. Every generation, a pup would be born housing the reincarnated spirit of the monstrously powerful kitsune. It just so happened that this generation's Kyuubi was also the clan dunce. At the age of 13, Naruto still had yet to harness the monster within him, and the hyperactive kit could barely hunt to keep his body strong.

That was why he was so overjoyed to have a weasel on the run today.

A snickering growl came from the pup's snout as he nimbly jumped on a log, using the solid footing to push himself off and forward, landing perfect inches before the red-eyed weasel's path.

With a foxy grin, Naruto stepped forward, his head bowed and his fangs dripping with saliva. Weasels were small, with hardly any fat on them, but their meat was always tender and their catch was honored in his family for their natural cunning and speed. Fox tails twitching at the ends, Naruto tried to stay perfectly still. The weasel was staring at him, gouging him, waiting for the moment to flee. Naruto would not allow that. Staring straight into the rodent's small eyes, Naruto made it clear who was the predator and who was the prey. Never once blinking, the fox sprung at the weasel, falling upon it with his jaw opened and ready for the kill.

But the kill never came. And, instead, Naruto found his needle-point teeth digging into human flesh.

Shocked, Naruto recoiled, the bitter taste of human blood flooding his senses.

_How... No! He was my prey! Dammit!_

Taking a step back, Naruto stared up at the human man. He hadn't said anything yet, a fact that irritated the kitsune even more. Naruto was undeniably small as it was, making hunting horses and boars hard, but the chances that he could beat a human with tooth and claw alone, with no grasp of the Kyuubi's powers, were near dismal.

Especially this human, with eyes, as red as the blood that dripped unattended from his left arm, that were dotted with small black pinwheels. The boy had never seen a human like that, but he'd never seen many humans that weren't Fox Changelings.  
Naruto growled. The human raised a perfect black brow.

_What's he waiting for? Does he want me to run? I can't run! The embarrassment, being bettered by a weasel. A weasel! Exactly!_

It was a known fact that weasels were skinny, weak humans. They relied mostly on trickery for their food and were usually the first to flee in confrontations. This one, despite eerie eyes, had to merely be putting on an act to seem strong. Weasels did that a lot- pretended to be strong and powerful, though when they really weren't. Ironically, Foxes did the same a lot of the time, using their natural talent of shape shifting to their advantage. The weasels and foxes were on friendly terms, allies, even, in the forest of Konoha. But Naruto knew none of that, for he slept during lessons.

Taking another step back, Naruto shifted from his fox form to his human form. Head bowed and tails lowered, his golden fur bristled as limbs became longer and lost their fur and yellowed fangs became yellowed teeth. Standing at his full height, which wasn't much, even though his company was far from towering, Naruto looked quite the confident image: smirk on his whiskered face, oversized canines gleaming unabashed, and hands planted on small hips.

"You, weasel, what do you want?" The fox questioned the weasel harshly and haughtily.

"So what they say is true- The Kyuubi really is nothing more then a useless runt." The weasel replied with a small smirk as he brought his bitten arm back beneath his black cloak.

"Wh-what?" Naruto exclaimed, rage and embarrassment taking him over as his hands quickly balled into tight fists. "Repeat that, rodent! I'll finish the job I started before!" The words seemed to amuse the man, since he chuckled a few times under his breath, head turned to the side and silky black bangs hiding his red eyes from Naruto.

When he turned back, he was still smiling, though it was a tainted smile; just as eerie as his eyes, which seemed to have changed, gotten more intense, though Naruto couldn't quite figure why. The fox flinched under the gaze, suddenly feeling trapped. His feet wouldn't move, and he wanted to desperately look down and see what had caught them. But he couldn't. He couldn't even speak.

_What's… what's happening to me? What the hell is this!_

Naruto's bottom lip began to tremble as he fought furiously to move his feet, to run from the advancing weasel.

"You can't escape, little Kitsune. Not from my Mangekyou Sharingan. Nobody can escape from my Mangekyou Sharingan."

_Like hell I can't! I'm not some dumb dog, captured with a pathetic stare down!_ Naruto thought angrily, his heart beat racing as panic took a stronger hold on him. He was still disgusted that the weasel thought he could beat him like that, with some silly trick of the eyes, but a deeper part of him was terrified, since he was being beaten by this silly trick. Beaten with no way out.

_Kyuubi… where are you? Where are you when I need you! Please, Kyuubi… I need you now more then ever… just, help me beat this bastard!_

"Now, Kitsune… look deeply into my eyes and experience the pain… the pain of being whipped by leather straps for three days…" The man ordered, his voice soft and smooth and pleasing to the ears.

_Kyuubi…_Naruto's mind pleaded one last time as he felt the constraints of the Mangekyou Sharingan encircling him. _Please…_

Something like thunder struck in Naruto's mind, bleaching his vision with untamable white light and making him dizzy and disoriented. Groaning in shock, He furiously rubbed his eyes with his palms, his knees shaking uneasily. Slowly, the bonds of the Sharingan lowered. Naruto felt an intense relief like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he hadn't realized how strong the attack against had been. Looking around him, everything suddenly seemed clearer, sharper to his true blue eyes, and he gaped around unashamed, finally turning back to the enemy.

The weasel didn't look shocked. Maybe a little annoyed, as far as Naruto could guess, or slightly angry. But not surprised.

"I see you awakened him. That just makes my job easier."

_'Now! Destroy him! Kill! Go, host, ravage him and tear the one who dared attempt to capture the great Kyuubi!'_

Thrown off by the wave of intense anger and hatred that was in him and not of him, Naruto put a hand to his heart like he believed the Kyuubi resided there. He was grinning now, despite the danger that still rested feet before him. He felt the Kyuubi's power in him, blazing with strength in the pit of his stomach. It was an ecstatic feeling.

"This is taking far longer then I anticipated. I'll just have to end it now." The weasel said as he moved his arms out from under his cloud dotted cloak.

Naruto looked up just in time to see him coming at him, though alarm gripped him when he realized he couldn't move his feet yet. Though weakened, the Mangekyou Sharingan was still in effect, just enough to make the young pup easy prey.

A cold, white, hand grabbed Naruto around the neck, turning his chin up with one ringed finger. Naruto's teeth clenched and his hands shot up to free himself. Foxy nails dug into the wrist of the hand, but it was all in vain. The weasel's grip was as strong as that of a stone angel of death.

"Wh-why are you d-doing this, w-weasel?" Naruto asked through a trembling jaw and constricted neck.

"I'm not a weasel." The man whispered into Naruto's ear as he lent in, his body right up against Naruto's back. Soft tendrils of black hair brushed Naruto's cheek while the rough fabric of the cloak rubbed against the bare spot on his lower back, sending shivers of awareness through his bones. "I'm a wolf."

_But… all the wolves of Konoha Forest are dead…_Was the last thought that ran through Naruto's mind before the man struck him in the head with enough force to knock him out. Warm blood flowed into his open mouth, down sharpened canines, and across dry lips as the fox's body went completely limp with torpidity.

* * *

A lone crow perched on a blackened and gnarled bough of the ancient and spindly dead tree on the cliff. It was the only tree, set against a faraway horizon of green canopies and resting on a desolate base of burnt and useless russet earth.

A small, scarlet tanager glided down beside the other bird, landing just as quietly as the crow had hours before. A moment of silence went by as the tanager turned its red-eyed gaze to the crow, and then the stillness was broken as both birds swiftly transformed into fully grown humans seated surely on the branch.

"Why are we meeting here, Kakashi?" The Tanager asked irritably as she pushed wild strands of dull black hair out of her glistening face. The woman, with her brilliant red eyes and sharp lashes, was covered in three layers of impressive and intricate looking robes and dresses not made for this part of Konoha Forest and its heat.

"Because I like the view." The Crow replied flatly as he gestured to the land below the cliff: black, lifeless, and burnt in a time long ago. The woman frowned in reply.

"Well, then tell me, why are we meeting at all?"

"I thought I should tell you, Kurenai. I've had Gekkou Hayate following the Traitor Wolf." Kakashi paused, giving Kurenai knowing time to apprehend without moving his eyes from the depressing remains of life below him. She took a sharp intake of breath, her composer broken and eyes alert.

"Why?" Kakashi shrugged in reply.

"I thought it would be best. I have other reasons, my own reasons." And he let it drop there. "Either way, there's been some recent activity." The crow let a gap of silence fall between then as he stared off with his usual laze, one-eyed gaze.

"He's taken the Kyuubi." He finally said, face and body unreadable for any show of impression.

"The Kyuubi? Why? That doesn't make any sense… what would Uchiha Itachi want with the Kyuubi?" She questioned, voice rising to an atypical level as she wrung her hands as discreetly as possible. Kurenai was old enough to remember the last rampage of the Kyuubi, and the mere thought of what was capable of the demon when it was in the hands of the Traitor Wolf was terrifying.

Kakashi shrugged again, his indifference to the matter thrown off only by the way his shoulders slumped down slightly.  
"I don't know. I just thought I should tell you, so you could inform the Aviary Council."

"Yes, yes I'll do that…" The tanager woman said in flustered determination as she nodded her head.

"Something may be coming…" The Crow added as a sharp breeze chilled them both, silver bangs and black locks being pulled with it.

"Is that all, Kakashi?"

A pause, another breath of wind, and then a reply. "Yes, that's all."

"What will you do now?"

"I don't know. I'll wait on Hayate's next message." He answered with the same aloof movement as before.

"Okay then. Well, I'll inform the others. I have to return to Princess Hinata now. Contact me with any more developments, Kakashi." With a nod towards the crow, the tanager stood to her full height on the slim branch, head tilted as her arms turned into wings and skin sprouted feathers as she shifted completely to her bird form and flew off into the distance in the opposite direction of the green canopy.

The crow stood sat alone on the branch, worn sandal cloven feet dangling over the ground below, casting shadows against the darkened earth with the rays of the sunset.

That was all he had to say, for there really was no reason to tell Kurenai that the Avenger Wolf was on the trail of the Traitor Wolf. That information really only appealed to him and him alone.

The crow's movements were silent as he stood, hair dancing in the sudden flurries that had come with the setting of the sun. Even with his mask, his face looked tired: old beyond years and with one visible eye shut and restful. He brought his arms up from his sides, hands falling down limply from wrists.

"What is to come in the future of Konoha Forest… I wish someone could predict…" He muttered, audible to only himself, as a parting word before he turned into a crow and flew across the barren ground below him, his black form leaving gliding black silhouettes against the land.

END

AN: Wow… writing that, I thought it went slow. Reading it, I thought it was horribly fast. Please forgive me . I've never just, like, jumped into a story like this before… I guess I'm not good at it… I hope it gets better…

Reviiiewwwww!

/Froggy Out


	2. Chapter 2

**Kingdom of Proclivity**

AN: Well, another chapter. I should mention now, I have no idea where this is going. I mean, I'm just having fun deciding what animal or creature each Naruto character best resembles. If anyone has any ideas they wanna share, feel free to offer :D

Iceheart19: Yeah, I know, but what can I say, I like it. And I've never seen one of these stories be taken too far or include all the characters.

Seamarmot: Kya, was it really fun to read? Score, not too fast or too slow! And yeah, I hope to find out more about how Konoha Forest Society works too –is learning as she writes- eh heh heh.

Disclaimer: Yo.

Chapter 2

Sasuke Uchiha clung to the tree as he lent his head in to sniff attentively for any trace of unusual smells. He was in his human form, but even then, his wolf senses were strong.

The boy's blue shorts and t-shirt sleeves were ripped and shredding after four days of constant hunting. Dark circles fell under his eyes, resting un-disturbing to his sharp features and good looks, while slightly more discernible scabs dotted his arms and calves.

Growling, the wolf kicked the tree, his foot un-lodging a piece of weathered bark. There was no trace of his brother's scent. Not even the slightest.

It was to be expected, though. It had rained two nights ago and the trail that had been hot when he'd started had gradually turned icy cold. He'd been relying on mostly his instincts since then, since they'd never once led him wrong.

But now, he was left wandering aimlessly, a constant thought that made his anger peek.

Since that night- the night where his world shattered at his small feet, he'd been left aimless. His brother made sure to cover his trail well, he'd realized, not that he'd have been able to do much as he was then; a young child, weak, pitiful, and traumatized.

But he was ready now. He'd been training and waiting in anticipation for the day he'd meet his brother again for years. And now, just when it was almost in his grasp, Mother Nature, that whore, pulls it away from him.

"You bastard!" Sasuke shouted as he kicked the tree again, more bark breaking off into the air. "You fucking bastard! I swear, I'll find you and I'll kill you and I'll make your blood run like a river through the grasses… you fucking bastard…" Sasuke said, breathing deeply. His bloodshot, pinwheel dotted eyes stared at the ground stolidly, knowing if he closed them the mocking image of his brother would echo in his mind.

Groaning in the back of his throat, Sasuke turned, sliding his back down against the tree and showing no worry when raw bark stained pale skin.

He hated what his brother could do to him. Even when he was god-knows-where, he tormented the boy. It was disgusting and humiliating and it made Sasuke sick to the stomach, but he was still powerless against it.

Rubbing his eyes, he urged the Sharingan away, feeling drained and useless.

_I must look at this reasonably. The scent trail has been destroyed. Brother never leaves footsteps… I'll have to search for people and ask them. That's what I'll do. I'll calm down and look for people._

Sighing, Sasuke was grateful when he felt his heart calming. Though, when he thought about it more, the idea that there'd be people wandering around the rim of Tri-Unity Valley was nonsense. Tri-Unity Valley was a quiet town, set up in a crater left millions of years ago and long since grown over by trees. It stayed hidden and protected by natural forests and jagged rocks and it'd had been the place of the first ever Konoha Peace Treaty twenty-five years ago. It was the perfect place for Sasuke to reside; there and only there could the lone wolf live an anodyne and fulfilling life. It was almost a pity he had to leave.

Sniffing the air around him, Sasuke picked through the swarm of scents that came to mind. There were trees, obviously, the flowers who he could only distinguish between smell and not name, the fresh water brook to his far right, insects, and, still a ways away, dog. Grinning smugly, Sasuke stood again. Dogs were stupid and loyal and he was sure it wouldn't take much authority to get their information. They were brothers, after all, though Sasuke would spit if he were ever compared to one personally.

He dimly wondered how he'd missed the canine trail in the first place, but it wasn't surprising. He'd been searching for only wolf scent the past four days, never dog.

The wolf ran his tongue over his slightly pointed teeth as he began to walk in the dog clan's direction, barely turning when he heard the crack of branches and the settling of bushes.

A bright pink sakura tree was always visible in the corner of his vision, its flamboyant leaves looking alien in the forest of greens and browns. Sasuke grimaced.

_Idiot girls… they'll get themselves killed like that, though I very well don't care. Possessive little wenches, I can't believe they've resorted to actual stalking…

* * *

_

"Ino-Pig! What do you think you're doing?" Sakura Haruno hissed as she changed from pink-flowered tree to young pink-haired girl. Sasuke was no longer visible and she had to hurry with her fit if she didn't want to lose him completely. The tree nymph placed one clenched fist on her boyish hip as she glared down at the boar before her. A quickly growing bruise was already showing just below her knee from where the boar had rammed her, unsettling her previously perfect golden tan.

The pig snorted at the girl before she, too, transformed; wiry black hair turning into a luscious stream of blond and small, black, pig eyes turning into expressive eyes of constant deep blue. "Don't call me Ino-Pig, Big-Forehead!"

Sakura flared red and shot back, her face straining hard to stay composed as her mind was overcome with rage. Taking a deep breath, though, she calmed herself. Sasuke was getting away and there was no time for this. "Ino… why did you run into me like that?" The sprite said as calmly as possible.

"Because you're an idiot, Sakura! What do you think you're doing, going after Sasuke like that! Going outside of the Valley… your parents are worried sick! I promised I'd bring you home!" Ino said, her voice strained with emotion and her blue eyes wide and shining in confused light.

Sakura softened, her shoulders slumping and her pink hair creating a wall before her eyes as she bowed her head. One of the six cherry blossoms she kept in her hair untangled from its nest and gently fluttered to the ground.

"Ino… you don't understand… Sasuke… Sasuke… he's leaving. For good. And… I never even told him how I feel…" Sakura said in a trembling voice.

"So you're going to follow him like a crazed stalker, Sakura? Where's the logic in that?" Ino exclaimed as she grabbed her best rival's wrists and pulled them closer to herself. "Sakura, you can't be serious… why don't you just tell him now, then, and come back home with me?"

Sakura's body fidgeted, her eyes refusing to meet the passionate ones of the boar before her. "I… I can't, Ino. Not yet. I'm… I'm not ready…"

"So you're going to follow him until you're ready! Sakura, I don't think you understand how crazy that is! What about your classes, your friends, your parents-"

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Ino!" Sakura snapped with as much ill-temper as she could when her heart was in such turmoil as it was now. Tears were trying to overpower her mint green eyes and her bones felt heavy in her skin. "I can take care of myself, Ino… and… and I have to do this-"

"You don't have to do anything, Sakura!" Ino injected fiercely, her hold on the nymph's slim wrists tightening.

"I love him. I know I do. And I… I have to do this…" Sakura finished in a whisper. Being so closely examined by Ino had made her embarrassed and ashamed. Her cheeks were flaming red, she knew, and the skin around Ino's fingers circling her wrist was turning pink. Still, though, she had to do this. She knew it. People would scoff, she knew, at a twelve year old falling in love, but she'd been Sasuke's since the first day she saw him, when they were only five. It had hurt, belonging to someone that didn't want you, but the young sprite knew her time was now. If she were to be with Sasuke when no one else were with him, then he'd surely turn to her. And she'd accept with eager arms.

_It's the only way._ Sakura thought as she quickly blinked to extinguish tears. _I know it. It's the only way I'll get Sasuke to love me like I love him._

A moment of silence past. Ino's hands gradually loosened before she completely freed Sakura's wrists, her own hands falling limply by her side before she raised her left to push glistening blond hair off her forehead.

"You're an idiot, you know that, Big-Forehead? A goddamn idiot… What should I tell your parents?"

Tears came heedlessly now as Sakura gazed upon the face of her once best friend. Ino was always pretty, far prettier then her's, she'd accepted long ago. But looking at the girls face now, contorted as it was with a grim smile, tight lips, and quietly leaking eyes, Sakura felt horrible.

"Just tell them you couldn't find me, Ino-Pig." Was all she said, uselessly trying to guise over her trembling hands, elbows, and knees.

"If that's what you want, Cherry Blossom Sprite." The boar said sadly, breaths coming in deeply and painfully.

The moment was tense and felt almost damp to the two girls locked within it, the sun casting green rays on their tanned bodies.

"I… I should probably go catch up with Sasuke now… I don't want to loose him…" Sakura said as she absently tugged at strands of hair.

"If you ever do loose him, though, don't be afraid to come home, okay?" Ino said as amiable as she could manage.

"Mm, okay, I promise." Replied the nymph for the last time before she hurriedly turned and darted. Sasuke was far ahead now, and if she stayed in that moment any longer her raw emotions would destroy her like a great flood.

Ino cringed at the site of the fleeing girl, watching as the sun reflected one last time on radiant pale pink hair and equally pink cherry blossoms. Another had fallen to the ground, it seemed, standing like a holy sign on the rough and unbroken ground. Ino refused to pick it up, though.

Things hurt. Her stomach hurt, her head hurt, her feet hurt, her knees, and eyes and nose and fingers and even her cheeks. Everything just seemed to hurt; Pounding beats of blood pumped into her numb body, blood that she was sure was tainted with poison. It was just too much to take.

Falling to her knees, the girl buried her head in her legs, her blond mane draping over one shoulder.

"Sakura… how… how could you leave me? You stupid, stupid little nymph… How… h-how…" Tears quickly cleansed the hog-girl's dirty knees as she began to rock; a feeble attempt to fight off the aches of her bone and the cries of her heart.

Sakura had once been her best friend. It had been a long time ago, a long, long time ago, before either of their lives had been disarrayed with complications. Even though she could barely remember that time, she still treasured those days the most.

Looking back, she couldn't quite say when things had shifted. But at some point, Ino's favorite person had changed from Sasuke to Sakura. Something about the girl's determination, charm, and inner kindness had captured the boar's attention on a new level, and things had gone from there.

Bitter laughs broke through Ino's sobs, bubbling to the surface in fits of snot and spit. Ino's pale face was covered in salty tears and sticky mess while her hair was plastered to damp cheeks, but she didn't even try and compose herself.

How could she, when the one she loved had gone after the one she loved?

_I'll wait for you to come back, Sakura. I'll wait and pray and hope everyday that you'll come back.

* * *

_

Naruto started as he was awoken by cold hands on his back and neck. Stumbling back, he stared, one hand already inspecting the back of his neck. All he saw before him was the weasel- no, the wolf, with his hands already lost in the folds of his once again.

"Wh-what did you do to me, you pervert!" Naruto shouted back, his cheeks blushing at his own implications. The other man glared though his lips were curled at the tips in a smirk.

"Don't fear, Kitsune, I did nothing but awake you with slight pressure to the right area. What would be the fun in talking your body when you are not awake to enjoy it?"

Naruto didn't respond. He blushed more and stared at his bare feet. Glancing up through blond bangs, Naruto was relieved to see his captors eyes were a conventional black color; no more spinning pinwheels or bloody red. Readying his confidence, the kit stood, gazing strongly at the man with his chin tilted up just the slightest.

"I demand to know who the hell you are, jackass, or I'll call the whole Uzumaki clan and they'll kick your ass."

_That sounded good…_ Naruto thought pleasingly to himself. _But really, who does he think I am? I'm the great Kyuubi! There's no way he can kidnap me! Eh, Kyuubi? Eh…?_

There was no answer from the feral fox, which led Naruto to believe he was sleeping.

"I am a wolf, that is all you need to know right now, Kitsune-"

"I have a name, you bastard! My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I'm the heir to the Uzumaki fox clan!" Naruto interrupted, baring his dog-like canines proudly.

"… Very well, then… I am a wolf, that is all you need to know right now, little Naru. Now, shape shift into a more suitable form." The wolf replied as he gestured to the ocean in front of them.

Shocked, Naruto gaped. He'd never seen the ocean before, though he knew Konoha Forest practically bordered on one. But the thought that they could have traveled this far made Naruto's fingers twitch.

"H-how long was I out?" He asked uneasily.

"Less then a day." Was the bored response.

"But… then how did you get so far carrying me?"

"You're really not very heavy, Kit- no wonder, since you're such a runt."

Too anxious to be angry, Naruto finally pulled his gaze form the steadily crashing waves ahead of him. "I… I could run away now, you know. I have the full forest at my back. You'd never be able to find me."

"You and I both know that is a lie, little Naru." The wolf said in the same deliciously silky voice that Naruto was already beginning to dread. Nevertheless, one look into the other's face and Naruto, disgustingly, realized how very right he was.

"So, now that you've accepted your fate, change into something more aquatic."

"Is that how you became the weasel? Shape shifting? Wolves can't shape shift, though! Only foxes, weasels, and raccoons! That's not fair!" Naruto growled angrily as he branched off on another topic.

"Very talented wolves can shape shift, though." Was the answer the fox received, both a threat and a warning at once. Gulping softly, Naruto turned his back on the man, using the silent excuse of tightening his brown and muddied headband.

"Hn… what are you waiting for, Kitsune?" Naruto cringed at the voice.

"I told you not to call me Kitsune, bastard! Call me by my name! I'll even call you by yours instead of bastard, you wolf bastard." The pup demanded haughtily as he pointed an accusing finger at the slightly taller man. The wolf sighed and pushed black strands of hair off his brow in aggravation.

"If it will get you to hurry up, very well, I will not call you Kitsune anymore, little Naru, and you may call me Itachi instead of Wolf Bastard. There, I hope that's pleasing."

Naruto nodded smugly, pleased with himself and the knowledge that he'd won.

"Now, if you'll only shape shift…" The fox's face fell.

"S-so, what are you, ahh planning to do with me, eh, wolf ba- Itachi?" Naruto spoke in a rush, quickly correcting himself at the end.

Itachi raised an eyebrow and his lips quirked in amusement. "You're avoiding the subject of shifting, little Naru. Is there something you want to tell me?"

"No! Just shut up! I'm just… I'm just…" Nothing came fast enough to the young kit's mind to save his grace, and he was left fiddling with the trim of his orange shirt and staring to the side timidly.

"Could it be that the great and powerful Kyuubi… can not even shape shift? Why, I thought foxes were born with that trait…"

"Shut up." Naruto said miserably, shoulders hunched and teeth clenched. "Just shut up, bastard."

"So quick to anger, Kitsune- if I didn't need you so much, I'd be annoyed by now. But you're lucky you were born the Kyuubi incarnate."

_Lucky my ass_! Naruto thought with a mental snort as he forced his body to relax and un-tense.

"I… I can shape shift a little… just not very well…" For some reason, he felt the need to redeem himself before the powerful wolf, though that feeble attempt was all he could manage.

Sighing, the wolf ushered the fox towards him. Naruto faltered a moment before coming forward. "I thought it best to keep him sealed till we reached the island, but it seems that can't be done now. Now, think fish."

_Fish?_ _What the hell am I supposed to think about fish! _Naruto though incredulously as Itachi placed a milky hand to the center of his forehead. A light shot through the boy's mind, then a surge of power, the image of a fish, and the next moment he was on the ground, flopping against the dusty dirt with his little orange fins and tail fluttering in panic. The great Kyuubi vessel, Naruto Uzumaki, had unconsciously turned himself into a clownfish. And, beneath the rabid terror that he'd suffocate if he stayed out much longer in open air, he was beaming with pride. All prior attempts to shape shift had ended discernibly terrible, finishing with warped heads, twisted legs, and weak spines. All except for his attempt at the busty female, which always ended well. But that aside, here he was, a fish from the inside out; and it was all thanks to Itachi's help.

"A clownfish? Not very noble of you, Naru. The jester of the underwater kingdom… I suppose it's fitting…" Itachi murmured under his breath as he held the still flailing Naruto-fish in his open palm. "Now now, calm down, we're just about there. I've never met anyone so eager to be successfully captured." The wolf said with a hint of twisted humor. Naruto immediately stopped bouncing though it was only second before he was lowered into the water, a shiver of excitement running through his new body.

Naruto wasn't a horrible swimmer, but nothing could be compared to swimming like a fish as a fish. The whole world looked different through the beady eyes he now sported. Everything was brighter, more vivid. Even the smells of the ocean meant more to him now then they ever had before. So caught up in his new abilities, Naruto just barely missed seeing Itachi shift into a most fitting animal- an eel. What kind, Naruto could never say, but he could easily recognize an eel for an eel. He'd eaten them on special occasions and loved every bite. Though at the present, he was all too aware that Itachi, along with any of the other large fish he'd seen pass by, could eat him up. Suddenly, he regretted choosing such a small and pathetic fish as his form (even though he'd really done no choosing).

_Why couldn't I change into a shark?_ He thought glumly in his fishy brain. _Or even a whale would have been fine… I would have been a hundred times as big as the wolf bastard then!_ Naruto went on, using Itachi's nickname in the privacy of his own mind.

The eel turned to the clownfish and Naruto couldn't help but give an inward shutter at it's eerie yellow eyes. They reminded him of the cloudy eyes dead foxes held after they'd been killed by poison- except these were more alive and intent. The thought of being deadly poisoned but still vividly alive made Naruto grin as best he could with a fish's lips and mouth.

The eel nodded once, nudging it's head to the left, before he began in that direction, each movement of his body hypnotizing to Naruto's eyes.

For a moment, the kit considered running. Itachi had made it clear he could find him in the forest, but what about in the ocean? Surely the wolf's skills were at a disadvantage in his current form of a legless eel.

_Then again…_ Naruto thought as he eyed a group of three burgundy fishes at least twice his size. _So am I._

In the end, the fox boy decided death by a big fish was far more humiliating then death by a wicked lone wolf villain.

END

AN: Fuuu! Sorry for major bad character writing. I had major trouble with Sasuke and that just upset me for the rest of the chapter –twitch- Either way, I hope you guys like it and I hope I'm not branching into too many plots, eh heh.

And daaamn, gotta love heeheehee.

Ask any questions you want and I'll surely answer them and I looove having mistakes pointed out to me.

Review for more, kukukuku

/Froggy Out

EDIT: Eeeek! Sankyu so much for telling me about those glued words, Seamarmot! D: I edited some things in the page view and editor thing… and for some reason, they came out like that –confused- Either way, I'm super sorry and will repeat this in the next chapter for you to see again. Sorry again!


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